Bugs with Specific Abilities

During that first week, my ward was (and continues to be) amazing. The Relief Society mobilized quickly, and before I knew it, we had a regular buffet of delicious dinners covering my counter tops. The amount of love, and food, was staggering. Funny how I had never really considered the poignancy of the name until now ... Relief Society. I couldn't agree more.

There were lots of plans to make, phone calls to place, and choices to decide that week. I was overwhelmed. My beautiful, wonderful sisters reported for duty the moment they heard the news, traveling from all parts of the country. They were assembled in my little apartment, waiting to take orders. One of them, my fabulous Kristin, remarked, "Can I help with anything? I feel all I've done is eat." As I thought of the casseroles stacking up in my fridge, and the ones that would surely be delivered that night, I told her, "That's exactly what I need you to do right now!"

Then it was Liss who chimed in with what has since become a kind of mantra for the six of us ... "It's like that movie, A Bug's Life. 'We've been waiting for bugs with your specific abilities!'" It was the first good laugh I'd had all day.

We have since discovered that while the exact quotation may be off, the sentiment remains the same, and we prefer our version anyway. If you are not familiar with the movie, you can view the clip here. The actual instance occurs around the three minute mark, if you are short on time.

These past few weeks I have been blessed by many bugs that have specific abilities. My brother-in-law works for IBM and was able to pull the data off Jamie's laptop ... which was, quite literally, in pieces. A neighbor, and member of my ward, is a graphic designer who created a beautiful program for Jamie's service, complete with a custom designed photo of mine and Jamie's temple (Draper Utah). I have bugs with financial abilities that have blessed me with security. I have bugs that respond quickly and without question to tearful midnight phone calls that begin with, "My sisters were just robbed at gun point!"

There are bugs that ran my classroom for me while I was gone: the fabulous and unmatchable Meta Mason--who not only created her own lesson plans from scratch, but also graded, filed, and led my kiddos in a winning march in the Storybook Parade--and also my amazing 4th grade team who have held my hand every step of the way.

There are bugs that know when to call. There are bugs that know when to text. There are also bugs that know when not to call or text. There are bugs that stood out in the raging maelstrom at Jamie's graveside, literally bearing up the flowers against an awesome and insurmountable force. Come hell or high water, those boys stood by Jamie till the end. It was their specific ability.

And then there are my sisterbugs. Oh, the sisterbugs. There is no shortage of them. I am one child out of seven in my family--six of us being girls. (Brotherbug is on a mission, serving honorably as Jamie did, and was not with us that week. But his thoughts and prayers were.)

I have tried to verbalize my gratitude to them for all they did that week, and continue to do now. They were cleaning bugs, phone bugs, decision bugs, comfort bugs, secretary bugs ... even eating bugs! But words fail me. I do not possess the language to accurately depict the depth and emotion I feel toward my lovely little lady bugs.

It is the small things--leaving a note in my make up drawer for me to find later, or eating a cherry dipped cone in honor of Jamie, gestational diabetes be damned! And it is also the big things--reading a eulogy, cold, in front of a congregation (of definite hundreds) of people. It is sitting cross-legged on the floor next to me during an Indian ceremony. It is accompanying me to a three hour hair appointment. It is triumphantly navigating the intricacies of a Mac, and ferreting out every last photo of Jamie on the internet.

It is leaving their own husbands and children behind to come be with me and my husband.

They are my sisterbugs, and I know Jamie was happy to see them here, bracing me up and shielding me through those awful, dark days. Where, oh where, would I be without my sisterbugs.

I am so blessed.

I wish that I could properly thank all the bugs in my life, but it's just not possible. They are too numerous, too selfless, and too elusive. But if you are reading this, you are a bug.

And you have specific abilities.

And I thank you.